By Omon-Julius Onabu, Asaba
The Türkiye Old Boys Association, a body comprising Nigerian alumni of universities in Türkiye, has announced plans to broaden the scope of its humanitarian initiatives in Nigeria by introducing empowerment programmes aimed at supporting indigent students and vulnerable youths.
The proposed expansion, which will include scholarship opportunities, skills acquisition training and youth empowerment schemes, is expected to complement the association’s longstanding charitable activities focused on supporting orphanages and vulnerable communities across the country.
The association, whose membership cuts across Nigeria and the Diaspora, has for several years carried out philanthropic outreach by donating cash, food items and other essentials to orphanages and homes for the less privileged.
Originally conceived as an end-of-year reunion for members, the group later expanded its activities to include sharing the joy of the Christmas and New Year season with vulnerable children and disadvantaged communities.
The tradition has been sustained annually, including during the 2025/2026 festive period, when the association extended its outreach to orphanages in Anambra State and Imo State.
In an annual project review statement made available in Asaba, the initiator and international coordinator of the association, Germany-based journalist and writer Friday Agbonlahor, described the charity outreach as a demonstration of compassion and shared humanity.
Agbonlahor, who writes under the pen name Frisky Larr, explained that members of the association across Nigeria and the Diaspora have resolved to go beyond seasonal charity drives in order to create deeper and more sustainable impact.
According to him, the association’s philosophy is rooted in a widely held Nigerian cultural value that “no one is too poor to lend a helping hand.”
He noted that strengthening such values of generosity and empathy is critical, especially at a time when many citizens face significant socio-economic challenges.
“We believe the time has come to upgrade and expand our activities so that our projects can make greater impact.
“For more than a decade, we have shared the joy of the festive season with less privileged children and communities across the country.
“Going forward, we intend to move beyond this tradition by introducing programmes that will empower people and improve lives,” he said.
Agbonlahor further stressed that a stronger culture of compassion and social responsibility could help address some of the pressing challenges confronting the country, including poverty and insecurity, particularly among vulnerable groups.
“As an association, we are not seeking recognition or praise. Our focus is simply to remind ourselves that there are many people who need a helping hand. No matter how little, everyone can contribute to putting smiles on the faces of others,” he added.
As part of its 2025/2026 charity cycle, the Nigerian-Turkish alumni group visited selected homes for orphans and vulnerable children in Anambra and Imo states, where it presented cash donations and relief items.
The association’s first stop was the Blessed Nise Community Children’s Home in Ngodo Nise, Awka South Local Government Area of Anambra State.
The management of the home expressed gratitude for the gesture and disclosed that work was ongoing at its permanent site to enable it to accommodate more children in need.
The charity train also visited the Nwadinaobi Orphanage Home located in Achingali Alike in Obowo Local Government Area of Imo State, where the Director and spiritual guide of the home, Rev. Sister Onyekachi Ude Ozor, warmly received members of the association.
Commending the group for its humanitarian gesture, Rev. Sister Ozor noted that acts of kindness toward the less privileged always attract divine blessings.
“Our loving God is always pleased with people who willingly put smiles on the faces of vulnerable children without expecting any reward in return,” she said.
Over the years, the association’s charity outreach has extended to several orphanages and vulnerable communities across Nigeria, including Eghosa Orphanage Home in Benin City, St. Anne Orphanage and Little Saints Orphanage in Warri, as well as the Motherless Babies Home operated by the Little Lilies of the Most Holy Trinity Foundation in Okwe near Asaba.
Other beneficiaries have included orphanages in Lagos State, charity centres supporting the “poorest of the poor” in Abuja, and the neonatal unit of General Hospital Agulu in Anambra State.
Founded about 12 years ago, the Türkiye Old Boys Association has grown into a global network of Nigerian graduates from Turkish universities, with active members across Nigeria and in several countries abroad.
The philanthropic dimension of the association’s activities, which was introduced some years ago by the international coordinator, has since become a defining feature of its annual programmes—reflecting the group’s commitment to compassion, community service and social responsibility.
